The best brunches in Paris

'Bruncher' is an established verb in Paris, which should give you an idea of the enthusiasm with which the French capital has adopted this American institution. The city seems to be made for long, indulgent weekend meals washed down with coffee, cocktails and a generous dose of people-watching. Here, we've selected our favourite Paris brunch restaurants serving moreish bacon and eggs, gluten-free goodness and simple all-you-can-eat blowouts. Think we've missed a great Paris brunch? Let us know in the comments below.

The best brunches in Paris by area

Cheap Paris brunches

While we all love a good weekend brunch blowout with all the carbs, fat and protein we can get on a plate (or several, if we're talking all-you-can-eat), the Paris brunch fetish means they don't all come cheap. These venues all feature in our city round-up of the best brunches in Paris, and they all serve fantastic slap-up meals for the princely sum of €20 or less. La classe!

The top ten Paris brunches

These Paris brunches have everything – location, atmosphere, gourmet smarts and menus that require two days of advance starvation. You might need a bit of military planning to score a table, but trust us – it'll be worth it. Be it crumbly, moreish pastries to go with the best coffee in town or a syrup-soaked eggs-and-bacon extravaganza, we've got you covered. Think there's a better Paris brunch out there that we've missed? Let us know in the comments box below.

Our top picks for Paris brunches

Restaurants

Liberté Ménilmontant

There's plenty of pedigree here: pastry chef Benoît Castel set up shop in a boulangerie that was once owned by a winner of ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de France’, the prestigious award for culinary arts. Castel himself cut his professional teeth at the Grande Épicerie de Paris and the Michelin-starred Hélène Darroze restaurant, before launching his own chain of boulangerie-pastisseries. As well as a large boutique space full of inspired baking creations, the Boulangerie Liberté also offers big tables for easygoing breakfasts and brunches (you can reserve for groups of six and up)...

La Chambre aux Oiseaux

Another badly-kept secret, in just a few months La Chambre aux Oiseaux has become one of the most popular restaurants on the Canal Saint-Martin, to the point where you need to reserve a week ahead for their Sunday brunch. So is Hervé Labarre and Léna Balacco’s little canteen worth the hype?We think so. We like the grandmother’s sitting room décor, with old-school porcelain and flowered wallpaper and big armchairs. Then there’s the cooking, generous and full of flavour...

L'Echappée

L’Echappée is primarily a lovely spa, whose stark modern façade stands out amid the dishevelled grandeur of the Rue de la Folie Méricourt. But regulars know you can also come here for brunch on weekends from noon to 3pm in the bright upstairs rooms. Make sure you arrive early to grab the armchairs at one of the big coffee tables – they’re criminally comfy. Once you’re settled in, for €25 per person you can have a buffet of your choice...

Les Enfants Perdus

Les Enfants Perdus is a discreet and really rather chic fine-dining restaurant frequented by the bobos of the Canal Saint-Martin, and overspill from the bars L’Atmosphère and Café Bonnie. The interior is sombre but at the back, a light and airy room has been kitted out with comfortable benches strewn with white cushions – ideal for plonking yourself down on a Saturday or Sunday morning at brunch hour. And the dishes are exceptional. The best approach here is to fast for a day beforehand...

Chez Casimir

Thierry Breton, owner of Chez Michel and of this bistrot next door, takes the idea of generous servings to extremes. Here, this doesn’t mean an American brunch experience – instead Chez Casimir lays on ‘le Traou Mad’ (meaning ‘good things’ in Breton), served continually from 10am to 7pm. You can fill your plate with delicious fare from Brittany and elsewhere, starting simply with salted butter on exceptional country bread, and moving on to just about everything else...

Bal Café

While you're here, enjoy an exhibit at the BAL, the Parisian temple of the documentary image. The team is young, cheerful and cosmopolitan; the décor is warm and the food delicious. The cooks here cut their teeth at the lauded Rose Bakery and all the ingredients are carefully chosen. For brunch, porridge, scones, bacon and other UK-inspired dishes jostle for space on the menu...

L'Estaminet des Enfants Rouges

Bobo, yes, but still lovely. Insulated from the honking horns of the city, this place is a true oasis in central Paris. This small, organic canteen is warm and welcoming, a tavern for weary urban travellers in the heart of the Enfants Rouges market. Though somewhat difficult to find, it is far from secret – especially in summer when the colourful chairs come out to allow customers to enjoy the aromas of the market. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays...

Un Dimanche à Paris

Chocoholics will be in paradise in this concept store dedicated to cocoa, where an upscale brunch is served on Sundays. Only premium products are on offer: Poilane bread, Bordier butter and slices of Iberian ham. As part of the €55 menu, you also get foie gras with pear and crème de cassis (in autumn) and a glass of Champagne instead of juice. There are no muffins, but rather a madeleine, a mini-éclair and a slice of cake – all of which go perfectly with one of the best hot chocolates in Paris...

Holybelly

Arriving for breakfast at Holybelly, you get a warm welcome from the tattooed, beanie-wearing staff. Early risers are already in place at the pretty wooden and white-painted booths over a star-patterned tiled floor, local workers smiling and chatting over their coffees. The narrow area at the front gives way to a sober and elegant back room, dominated by a big leather sofa and a pinball machine...